The Holy Spirit Icon, Church of the Visitacion, San francisco

Summer 2014Oil and gold leaf on wood

The Holy Spirit is depicted here as a fierce graphic enigma… a shape suggesting a dove or a treble clef, or some foreign symbol employed by the archangels? An abstract force, beyond our comprehension, from the Heavens; from outer space. A comet? A UFO? A great white phantom from the Greater Unseen…The dove is a bright white that pierces through the darkness, which echoes Christ emerging from the darkness in the painting of Divine Mercy, to the right of the ambo and icon.

And the accompanying flames? Lively and playful, like fireworks, or paper streamers falling on a parade. This is a Celebration!

And the color tiles below, is this confetti? The stained glass windows feature some of San Francisco’s buildings, so here we have a quiet night Visitacion neighborhood scene.